Exodus 8:15-32

 (1) The repeated phrase-the land

The gnats covered all the land of Egypt v.16, 17. The troublesome insects were created from the dust of the ground. Even the magicians said to Pharaoh, “It is the finger of God!” v.19. 

(NET) their statement highlights that the plague was accomplished by God with majestic ease and effortlessness. Perhaps the reason that they could not do this was that it involved producing life—from the dust of the ground, as in Genesis 2:7. The creative power of God confounded the magic of the Egyptians and brought on them a loathsome plague.

The flies were similar to the gnats that they were troublesome because they were many in numbers and they covered the whole land, but this time, God marked off the land where Israel stayed v.22. God, instead of Pharaoh, had absolute control of Egypt. 

8:22 But on that day I will mark off the land of Goshen, where my people are staying, so that no swarms of flies will be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of this land.

Finally, at the end of the thick swarm of flies coming to the land, 

v.24b the land was ruined because of the swarms of flies. 

The verb  [ruined] describes utter devastation. This is the verb that is used in Gen 13:10 to describe how Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Swarms of flies would disrupt life, contaminate everything, and bring disease.

(2) The difficult passage

8:25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.”8:26 But Moses said, “That would not be the right thing to do, for the sacrifices we make to the LORD our God would be an abomination to the Egyptians. If we make sacrifices that are an abomination to the Egyptians right before their eyes, will they not stone us?

(NET) The text literally says, “for the abomination of Egypt we will sacrifice to Yahweh our God.” In other words, the animals that Israel would sacrifice were sacred to Egypt, and sacrificing them would have been abhorrent to the Egyptians.

(3) Reflection

From the plague of the frogs, and now the gnats and flies, they were all troublesome and could not be ignored. Pharaoh had to face God. He could not just turn away and went back to his home (7:23). If this assumption is correct, then God had made a lot of effort to "correct" Pharaoh. How about us? Do we ignore God and what He had done? Have we ever been serious about what God tried to teach us? 

God is the God of the land, the God of creation, and He rules over Egypt. Pharaoh might resist Him, and acted like he was the ruler, but he could not resist God and he was not the final ruler. Today we see many "Pharaohs" all over the world, and they want to neglect or even oppose God. How about us? Are we neglecting God that He is our Ruler?

Audrey